Our Miracle Baby!

I just found this article that was written on our precious Bing!!!  Geraldine Carroll with Project Hope wrote this article on World Heart Day.  It isn't that long, but a great read on the miracle of Miss Olivia Yang Mann! :)

http://www.projecthope.org/news-blogs/stories/project-hope-celebrates.html

I've posted it below too just in case the link doesn't work

Project HOPE Celebrates ‘Miracle Baby’ on World Heart Day

September 29, 2011

By: Geraldine Carroll

Baby Fu Bing Yang was born on a cold January day last year in the heart of the industrial Hengyang City in China’s Hunan province.  Nurses at the orphanage where Bing was living were extremely concerned about her frail health as she was less than a week old.  An Australian volunteer with International China Concern (ICC), a Christian development organization that supports sick children in China, was called in to help baby Bing .  The volunteer took Bing to her home to nourish and nurture her, and Bing progressed from a sickly 4 lbs to 7 lbs in 10 weeks.  Bing returned to the orphanage, but soon the nurses noticed that Bing’s skin had developed a worrying blue tinge.  It was suddenly evident that Bing had a serious heart condition and needed the urgent care of specialists at Shanghai Children’s Medical Center (SCMC).  Bing and her caregiver made the 15-hour train journey to Shanghai, where a group of skilled pediatric heart surgeons and U.S.-based specialists saved Bing’s life.
The doctors at Shanghai Children’s Medical Center realized Bing’s heart disease was far worse than originally diagnosed in Hengyang City.  Bing was gravely ill with complex heart disease, missing one chamber of her heart and with an absent spleen.
SCMC is one of the world’s premier pediatric heart centers, performing lifesaving heart surgery on more than 3,000 children each year.  Project HOPE helped develop the hospital, which opened in 1998, and has provided more than $30 million in medical equipment. HOPE continues to support SCMC through several training programs for professional health care workers in the areas of diabetes, children’s nutrition, HIV/AIDS and nurse training.
"Bing’s complex surgery is another example of how Project HOPE's mission of training local doctors, nurses and health professionals can offer the gift of life for future generations," said Lily Hsu of Project HOPE in Shanghai.

Bing’s story could have ended tragically were it not for the excellent international collaboration of the Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, International China Concern and the Swinfen Trust, an organization that has helped children who might not otherwise have had any hope of survival.  The Swinfen Trust was set up by Lord and Lady Swinfen in the United Kingdom, to assist poor, sick and disabled people in the developing world by establishing telemedicine links between hospital-based practitioners in the developing world and expert medical and surgical specialists who give free advice via the Internet has saved thousands.  Generous donors from a church in Australia raised tens of thousands of dollars to pay for Bing’s surgery. 
Linked into SCMC through teleconferencing Dr. Richard Jonas, Surgeon-in-Chief at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC , and Dr. Karen Rheuban, Professor of Pediatrics at University of Virginia, consulted doctors and nurses responsible for Bing's treatment.
“Thus far I have personally cared for 15 children with congenital heart disease in the orphanages in China.  All have very, very serious health issues, some were critically ill.   Of these, I would say 8 have been referred to SCMC for surgery and all but one have survived,” said Dr. Rheuban.
“There is no question that but for telemedicine Bing and other children might not have had access to the specialty care they so desperately needed.  They traveled thousands of miles for surgical care and are proof that miracles do happen with more than a little help from the nurses of International China Concern, those who raised the funds for their surgery, the Swinfen Trust, Project HOPE and SCMC.

Meanwhile, another miracle was in the works for Baby Bing on the other side of the world in Hernando, Mississippi, where Julie and Danny Mann were deeply entrenched in a long adoption process to bring a frail baby Bing to her new home in the United States.  Baby Bing would become Olivia Mann, the heart of a large, warm Southern family who would dote on her every move and spend countless hours rebuilding Olivia’s strength, taking her to specialists and preparing her for the long, tough recovery process.
“Olivia was almost 15 months old when we finally got to hold her in our arms.  I'm not sure how much she weighed before her first surgery at 8 months, but she looked terribly thin after her surgery. She was only 12 pounds when we got her at almost 15 months old,” said Julie Mann.
Bing seems equally responsive to her Chinese and American names, adapting well to her new life, that will involve many trips to specialists as she gains strength.  Bing recently had surgery for severe reflux and will require an additional heart surgery next summer. 
“We don't even think about her being a sick baby - she's just our baby.  But the hardest part is having to watch her through all the doctors’ appointments. She is terrified of anyone with a stethoscope and it hurts me that she is so scared.  I cry every time we go to a doctor's appointment because I hurt for her.  We are traveling through the emotional journey of every new parent though.  Olivia is our first child and we were married for eight years before we became parents.
“Had Olivia not been taken in by ICC and then taken to SCMC, it would not have been possible for her to have her first birthday party!  That is how I explain the miracle of her life!”
Bing continues to capture the hearts of her adopted American community, and, as her mom explains, she has retained key cultural links to her birthplace.
“Bing LOVES the local Chinese restaurant food! How funny!  And they LOVE her!  Her favorite dish is chicken lo mein.”
World Heart Day was created in 2000 to inform people around the globe that heart disease and stroke are the world’s leading cause of death, claiming 17.1 million lives each year.

Christmas in Alabama...And then Pennsylvania

--My pictures are throwing me FITS!!!  I have more pictures that I can't post tonight b/c it's taking me FOREVER!!  I will finish these pics tomorrow--

Olivia has had such a great time with family the last few weeks.  First, my dad came up for Thanksgiving, then my mom came up for a week to keep Olivia while Danny worked his last week at work for while, then Danny's parents came up and spent a week!!  We have had such a great time!!  Then, really last minute, we came home to Alabama the weekend before Christmas.  My mom had been planning a family get-together ALL year with her sister's family (my Aunt Betty Lane) and we just couldn't miss it!  However, the flights were SO expensive that we just didn't see how we could go.  Danny ended up going on priceline.com and did the negotiator tool and got flights almost 50% less than any airline had - including pricelines prices (you get to pick the day - just not the time)!!!  So, we had a great, but quick, trip to Alabama and got a chance to see our family.  We didn't get to see any of our dear friends (so sorry to ALL our friends :( ) because our trip was so quick.  We love you all and can't wait to come back and hopefully spend more time so we can see everyone!  Olivia did exceptionally well on all our flights - she is quite the world traveler. ;)

An update on how everything else is going since bringing Olivia home...

Olivia has bonded to us SO well!  We feel so honored and blessed that she loves us so much.  We fell in love with her from minute 1, but we knew it would take her more time.  We hear that adoptive families do often struggle with attachment and bonding issues, but I must say that is one area that we have not struggled - even from the beginning.  Olivia almost instantly bonded with Danny and I.  This is not to say that she didn't grieve - but she took to us from the beginning.  We are so thankful for that.

Sleep - well, sleep is over-rated anyway, right?!?!?!  Sleep is one area that we CONTINUE to struggle with and have not had relief for the almost 9 months that she's been home.  I believe God allowed her to bond to us so quickly b/c I'm not sure people could deal with no sleep AND bonding issues.  We have tried EVERYTHING to get our sweet baby to sleep, but with limited or no success.  Our doctors up here don't have her background and they kind of blew us off and just told us what they tell everyone - that hasn't worked either.  I am convinced that it is still something medically related.  Since she can't talk yet - she isn't able to tell us.  Oh how I can't wait to her that sweet little girl's words!!!  Please pray for this area of our lives - it is hard on all 3 of us.  It doesn't seem to phase Olivia during the day though - she is just as active whether she's been up 2 times or 10.  Danny and I both feel like our bodies have been hit by trucks every morning when we wake up - we know it's just a lack of sleep and "this too shall pass".

Development - Olivia has been amazing to watch develop.  9 months ago we received a beautiful, but frail, little 12lb 15 month old little girl who had no teeth and still had a soft spot on her head. Her little legs were like limp spaghetti noodles and I could literally wrap her upper most thigh with my thumb to middle finger!  She had limited control of her head and zero ability to even sit up!!  We had to stack pillows behind her to hold her up while we were in China and then used a boppy once we got home.  Now - we have a true toddler running around with a laugh that could fill a room!!  She has made unbelievable progress in so little time.   Her legs are strong and so is she.  She is just over 21lbs and has 12 teeth.  We are so proud of her!!!  We beam like headlights when people get to see her - we are THOSE proud parents!!  One area that has yet to fully develop is speech.  It isn't that she doesn't talk - she does!!  Its just that - its not English - at least not any we speak down south :).  She jibber jabbers - just doesn't speak actual words.  We are now in the process of getting a speech therapist so they can help us work with her to help develop in that area.

Medical - her GI issues have greatly improved since her mal-rotation surgery just before we moved to PA.  She still struggles some, but not near as much as before!  We have noticed more of a blueish tint in her hands and feet a couple of times.  The first time it happened, it freaked me out and I called the cardiology doctor on call at CHOP.  Once they found out she was a single ventricle patient awaiting a Fontan procedure - they didn't seem overly concerned.  They said that sort of thing will most likely become more common leading up to her surgery.  She acted fine - was just a little blue for a few minutes.  I am thankful her surgery is still so far away, but will be happy once we get past that part.  I am so thankful there is a procedure that can be done, but obviously no parent wants to have their child go through what she will have to endure.  She is one strong little girl y'all!!!  She amazes us daily!

We can truly no longer imagine our lives without our precious little Bing Bing.  Oh yea - she fully responds to BOTH of her names :).  We still call her Bing Bing the majority of the time, but now she will turn if you say "Olivia".

I have a special post tomorrow - an AWESOME article that was done on the Bing!!  And then we will finally post some Christmas morning pictures!!  Sorry we are so far behind! :)

Pictures, Pictures, and More Pictures

So, I have been the hoarder of pictures the last month or so.  Here is just a start to the pictures we have taken since Thanksgiving.  I'm primarily posting from all the parents visit to PA and then I'll work on Christmas pictures and our very quick trip to Alabama :).

We are having a blast with this little pumkin!!!  She is a dream come true and we are madly in love!!! 

We do have a family update to tell everyone about.  We felt God had put everything in place leading us to PA with my work.  We truly sought Him and believe we followed the path He put into place.  Having said that - we quickly discovered how difficult it is to have two working parents day in and day out.  In Mississippi - we had a wonderful nanny that came to our home to keep Olivia - sweet Mrs. Sarah.  However, we thought that once we moved up here we would find a great school that could continue to help with Olivia's development.  We did find a great school, but once she started being around other children - we had a hard time keeping her well.  Given her already serious medical conditions - and not having a spleen - this led to 3 weeks off work, 5 trips to the pediatrician, and 3 visits to the ER (b/c everyone is too concerned to give us advice over the phone given her medical history).  The 3 weeks we had to take off work were primarily taken by Danny given the fact I had just started a new job and he still had FMLA available for the year.  I took the first couple of days, but we soon realized that Olivia would require more time before returning to school so that led to Danny taking about 2 1/2 weeks of FMLA.  During this time, everything became easier and less stressful.  Danny and I both (as well as Olivia LOVING being with her daddy) felt this might be a direction God could be leading.  We began to pray - AND PRAY HARD!!  This is NOT a decision to be made lightly and to say we were scared of making the wrong decision would be a BIG understatement.  After much prayer and consideration of what was best for our family - especially Olivia - we decided for Danny to take an extended leave of absence (a HUGE blessing) to stay home with Olivia full time.  We are hoping to keep her as well as possible during this time in her little life.  So far the transition is going wonderful!!!  I still miss her like CRAZY during the day, but not having to worry makes the day a thousand times easier!  Olivia loves being at home with her daddy and Danny is loving his new role!!   

I will post more later with the Christmas pictures.  So much to tell about Ms. Bing Bing...

Much Love!

Playing around with my DeDe!!  Why she's in the sink - not sure :)

Cutest smile I've ever seen!!!

Couldn't resist - hilarious picture of how animated she gets! :)

She loves playing on the pool table.  She pushes the balls in the holes.  For those who didn't know we played pool - we don't.  It came with the house :)

From left to right - Aunt Betty Lane, my sister Angela, and little miss beautiful Maddie (my new neice).  I'm posting this to show you how beautiful little Miss Maddie is even though my smile looks plain silly :).  Olivia's new cousin smiles every second she is awake - so precious!  They live in Warner Robins, GA where my brother-in-law serves in the Air Force.